The human voice is unmatched in terms of its versatility and ability to convey emotion, and so all musicians should work on their singing if it's not something they already practise regularly. Developing your vocal technique can help you to open up new dimensions in your music and unlock new layers of creative expression. In this article we share with you some essential tips for singing that you can use to sing better and improve your vocal skills.
Practice
The most important concept to understand when it comes to learning how to sing better is that you must treat your voice like a musical instrument. It takes years of practice to master an instrument like guitar or piano and it is no different with your singing.
A common mistake that holds singers back from reaching their full potential is by simply failing to put in enough hours of quality practice each week. By practising more regularly and with added intent we can make huge strides in our journey to becoming incredible vocalists.
Try and schedule in a couple of extra sessions each week for singing practice. You can use one of the sessions to focus on a specific technique or element of your voice, and the other session can be more loosely structured and focused on just singing songs you enjoy.
If you have a lot of commitments and struggle to fit in some extra practice then just do as much as you can. Scheduling even just one hour each week to work on your singing is enough to vastly improve your singing ability if consistency is maintained.
Listening Skills
The next step when you are learning how to sing better is to develop your listening skills. Listening skills are a fundamental skill for all musicians but it is extra important for singers, as we are responsible for producing our own pitch.
There are many ways to develop your listening skills but we recommend starting by analysing some of the vocals in your favourite songs and studying what makes them so great. Ask yourself what technical things the singer is doing to achieve the final performance? Pay attention to things like breathing, phrasing, tonal quality and use of vibrato. Are they using chest voice, mixed voice or falsetto etc. You can then look at incorporating some of these ideas in your own singing and seeing what works for your voice.
Developing your listening skills can also be combined with our first point in this article. Record yourself during your practice sessions and use these recordings to improve your singing. Listen back to your own voice and identify areas to focus on and refine your vocal technique.
Try Different Styles
It's important to experiment with singing in different styles when you are looking to improve your singing. If you only ever stick to one style then you will never find the boundaries of your voice and your full vocal range, both in terms of pitch and emotional expression.
Different genres of music also use different singing techniques to produce the vocal style of that genre, so by playing with different singing styles it allows you to further refine these techniques in different musical situations. If you usually sing pop then try singing some rock songs. Try singing songs written for the opposite gender to yourself.
If you don't normally use your falsetto when practising then find a song that's pushed your falsetto and give it a try. The key thing here is staying open minded and being willing to try new ideas.
- You can use Controllavoice to swap your voice with an existing song to see how your voice sounds in different genres and musical styles.
Let's Get Technical
Learning how to sing better is not just about hitting the correct notes, it's about perfecting your vocal technique. This includes breath control, pitch, dynamics, stamina, and overall vocal health.
Breath Control - Proper breath support is the foundation of great singing. Practice breathing exercises to improve your lung capacity and control your exhalation when singing.
Stamina - Singing for long periods can be physically draining, so it's crucial to build vocal stamina. Keep your vocal practice sessions on the shorter side and gradually extend them as your voice grows in strength.
Pitch - Work on staying on pitch, even when performing notes that challenge you. Using a piano or tuning app can help you reach greater precision in your pitch.
Dynamics - Learn to vary the volume and intensity of your singing. Through diligent practice working on your vocal dynamics you will be able to shift from soft, delicate notes to powerful belts with ease.
Control - This refers to your ability to deploy your voice across the full scope of your range. Developing good control allows you to transition smoothly between vocal registers (chest voice to head voice etc.) and ensures you're not straining.
Patience
Learning how to sing doesn't come overnight, and so another essential tip for singing is to be patient. You will face setbacks and obstacles on your journey to become a better singer, but by being patient and keeping a positive attitude you will find success, no matter how long it takes.
Instead of aiming for perfection right from the offset, we can focus on small, achievable goals for each practice session to build confidence and skill over time. It's important when on this journey to set realistic goals so that we have something to celebrate and don't get discouraged.
Take Care Of Your voice
Our final essential tips for better singing is for you to properly take care of your voice, so that we avoid any strain or vocal damage. Keep yourself hydrated so that your voice stays lubricated and in top shape for performance. Try to drink room temperature water throughout your day, especially before and during practice. Avoid any excess shouting or whispering which could stress your vocal cords and impact your singing ability.
As well as these protective measures, it's also essential to allow your voice to properly rest, especially after a heavy singing session. Give your vocals adequate rest and recovery time as you would with any other muscle.
Singing is an art, and improving your vocal technique is a lifelong journey. By practising regularly and following some of the tips contained in this article you can unlock your full vocal potential.
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